


What Happens in Vegas. . .

by Psistriker



Series: Chronoverse [1]
Category: Avengers, MCU, Marvel (Comics), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Disease, Fluff, Gen, Happy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-06
Updated: 2017-05-06
Packaged: 2018-10-28 18:38:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10837059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Psistriker/pseuds/Psistriker
Summary: A four part epic adventure that was originally posted on the rennerobsession community on LiveJournal.  Each part is inspired by a different Jeremy Renner picture.Hawkeye is sent on a mission to Vegas with his new partner, the mutant known as Chronos.  Of course, things are never as simple as they seem.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Note: This is part 1 of the World Builder Challenge we did last year on the rennerobsession LiveJournal community. Each fic had to be 600 words or less, inspired by the chosen photo, and tied together. This was my contribution. ;)

 

“Remind me again why I agreed to this disaster waiting to happen?” Clint sighed, hefting his rifle to his shoulder.

Chronos looked up at him, eyes hidden behind dark glasses.  “Because SHIELD regulations clearly state that all field agents must be proficient in the use of firearms.  And since I’ve never touched a gun in my life, for obvious reasons, somebody’s gotta teach me,” she pointed out.  “C'mon, Birdman, it’s not like I’m any happier about this than you are.  There’s a reason why I carry a collapsible quarterstaff, ya know.  I fricking hate guns.”

She was right, of course.  He was the one who had convinced her to join SHIELD and as her handler it fell to him to make sure she met most of the requirements.  A duty Coulson delighted in reminding him of to say the least.  But somehow the idea of teaching a suicidal mutant how to fire a gun didn’t exactly fill him with glee.

But there he was, in the middle of the Nevada desert, getting ready to do just that.  Coulson had sent them on a mission to Las Vegas, so Clint had decided to use some down time to try and get in some target practice.  He’d chosen the desert in an attempt to keep them under the radar and try to keep the casualties to a minimum.

“I did promise Stark I’d try out his new toy,” Clint admitted, indicating the rifle.  “Although I’d much rather have my bow.  Guns are so inelegant.”

“You mean you can’t show off,” Chronos snorted.

Clint glared at her under his ball cap.  “You know, Timex, sometimes you take this ‘little sister’ thing a tad too seriously.”

“Is this about you striking out with that red head in the bar last night? 'Cause that is so not my fault,” Chronos replied.  “I really was aiming for the idiot behind her when this jackass plowed into me and threw my aim off.  Her cleavage kinda got in the way.”

Clint was about to respond when his phone rang.  “Here, hold this,” he said as he handed her the rifle.  “Barton."  He listened for a minute then nodded.  "Understood.  Pack it up, kid.  We’re back in business, our target’s been spotted.”

“Rock on!” Chronos exclaimed, grinning.  “Let’s go be good guys.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where things go from bad to worse. . .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: This is part 2 of the World Builder Challenge we did last year on the rennerobsession LiveJournal community. Each fic had to be 600 words or less, inspired by the chosen photo, and tied together. This was my contribution. ;)

 

Chronos stood in the doorway, nervously biting her bottom lip.  This wasn’t supposed to have happened.  He was the hero, she was the freak.  But their mission had gone south, there was no back up, and she was the only one left standing.

It had been a simple retrieval mission - SHIELD had learned that Hydra was developing a new bomb.  Clint was being sent to meet up with an undercover agent who’d managed to smuggle out a flash drive containing detailed files on the bomb’s design and capabilities.  The only reason Coulson had even insisted on Chronos going along was because the files were encrypted and her hacking prowess meant she could decrypt them in the field instead of waiting to get the drive back to New York.

Only the whole thing had been a set up.  Instead of being handed a flash drive, they found the actual bomb itself.  Clint had insisted on trying to defuse the bomb and sent Chronos off to evacuate the immediate area.  But even the bomb was a ruse.  It was meant as nothing more than a delivery system for a new virus.  And while Clint was able to keep it from exploding, he ended up receiving the entire dose.

He’d collapsed immediately and Chronos was forced to fly him out of the area.  Coulson had directed them to a safe house, but the place had seen better days.  Clint had been unconscious for hours, sweating and shaking, while she stood by helpless.

When he finally groaned and started to stir, Chronos rushed to his bedside.  “C’mon, Birdman, talk to me,” she pleaded.

Clint opened his eyes, barely focusing on her.  “Heya, Timex,” he croaked out.  “Did we save the day?”

Chronos grabbed a bottle of water off the nightstand and held it to his lips as he drank.  “Barely,” she answered.  “No thanks to your sorry ass.”  She quickly filled him in on their current situation.  “Coulson said it was safer out here in the middle of nowhere until we know if you’re contagious or not.”  
  
“Then you shouldn’t be here either,” Clint pointed out, coughing.

“Healing factor, remember?  I haven’t gotten sick since I was twelve,” Chronos reminded him.  “I can fix this, I can.  I can go back and stop you, we’ll figure out something else.  I’ll keep doing it until we get it right, I can!”

“No!”  Clint started to sit up but a coughing fit forced him back against the cot.  “No, Chronos, we’ve talked about this.  We agreed you’d stop using your powers to help me, it’s not worth what it does to your mind.”

“You agreed.  I only agreed to stop if you agreed to stop being an idiot,” Chronos shot back.  She bit her lip again, the only outward sign of how upset she really was.  And one only he would notice.  “Look, I know what my powers do to me, but I don’t care.  What good is my sanity if it means your life?  Clint, you’re all I’ve got.  If you die…”

Clint reached out for her hand, but his grip was weak.  “You’re not getting rid of me that easily, Timex,” he said.  “I’ll be okay, we just have to wait for the rescue squad to come get us out.”

Chronos almost didn’t have the heart to tell him, but they’d always been completely honest with each other.  “There is no rescue, they’re not coming,” she replied.  “Hydra hit HQ the same time they got us.  We’re on our own.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having a time traveler for a partner has it's perks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: This is part 3 of the World Builder Challenge we did last year on the rennerobsession LiveJournal community. Each fic had to be 600 words or less, inspired by the chosen photo, and tied together. This was my contribution. ;)

 

Clint sat in the hotel lobby, trying to blend in.  He would have been calmer if his partner hadn’t disappeared, but he visibly relaxed when he saw her trademark fedora in the crowd.  “What happened to you?” he asked when she finally approached him.  “One minute you were behind me and then you were gone.  Never mind, we’re gonna be late.”  He stood and headed towards the bar where they were supposed to be meeting their contact, trusting her to follow.

“Clint, wait!” Chronos called.

Clint turned back to her, rolling his eyes.  “Not now, Timex.”

Chronos lunged forward and grabbed his hand.  “Freeze!”

Everything stopped as time itself froze around them.

“Dammit, Chronos, we talked about this!” Clint snapped.  Then he noticed the trickle of blood under her nose.  “What did you do?”

“What I had to!” Chronos snapped.  “Our contact is a double agent, he’s planting a dirty bomb right now that infected you with some new designer virus.  You were dying, Clint.  I reached out to everyone I could think of and no one could get to you in time.  And HQ?  Nearly wiped out by a surprise Hydra attack.  So I used my powers and travelled back in time twenty four hours to fix it.  I figured if I timed it right we could get a drop on the jackass and stop him before he can set the bomb.

“And I get it, okay?  The temporal energy that constantly floods my system causes brain damage and using my powers makes it worse.  Combine that with a mental illness that can’t be treated because of my healing factor and it’s a miracle they haven’t locked me up yet.  But not using my powers hasn’t been keeping me stable.  YOU have been keeping me stable!”

She was growing more agitated, practically shaking from anger and unshed tears.  “You’re the closest thing to family I’ve had since I had to let my parents die to preserve the timeline.  But you’re death wasn’t a fixed point!  Everyone wants me for my powers, you’re the only one who cares about me.  And I don’t want to lose you, Clint!  If I can keep you alive then to hell with my sanity.”  
  
“Okay.”

“What?”  
  
“You’re right, we should be able to get the drop on this guy now and stop him,” Clint replied.  “Chronos, I worry about you because I care.  Plus it’s not like I’m used to being somebody’s rock so I make mistakes.  And maybe I’m wrong, maybe asking you to not use your powers is as bad as wanting you just for them.  But I never wanted to upset you, to make things hard on you.  I…  Wait a minute, what about the attack on New York?”

“I called Coulson on my way here,” Chronos explained.

“Then we have our loophole,” Clint said, a little smirk on his face.  “We did agree that you could use your powers in an emergency and saving the others counts.  Saving me is just a bonus.”

Chronos grinned, catching on.  “You got me, Birdman,” she laughed.

Clint pulled her in for a tight hug.  “I’m not going anywhere, Timex, I swear.  At least not for a long time.”

Chronos hugged him back, holding on for dear life.  “I know,” she said.  “But do you mind if I beat the crap out of this asshole?  I’ve had a bad day.”

“He’s all yours,” Clint promised.  “Now could you please restart time?  This really freaks me out.”

“Wuss,” Chronos laughed.  “But let’s wait until after we’re in position.”

Clint’s smirk got bigger.  “That’s my girl.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The happy ending. Maybe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: This is part 4 of the World Builder Challenge we did last year on the rennerobsession LiveJournal community. Each fic had to be 600 words or less, inspired by the chosen photo, and tied together. This was my contribution. ;)

 

Clint stood at the hotel window, staring out at the city they had just saved.  He knew he should have been happy, but he just felt thoughtful.  He’d almost describe his mood as downright pensive if he was prone to big words.

“You’re not gonna go all Dark Avenger on me are you?” Chronos asked, entering his room.  “‘Cause I called dibs on being the brooding one in this partnership.“

"No, no, nothing like that,” Clint chuckled.  He closed the blinds before turning to her.  “Just thinking about the other time line, the one you erased.  If you hadn’t gone ahead and used your powers, if we hadn’t stopped the bomb this time.  All these people, …”

“Don’t,” Chronos said, cutting him off.  “Trust me, first thing you learn being a time traveller is playing ‘what if’ will drive you insane.  There are too many variables, too many options, too many ways things can go wrong.  Sometimes you can mess with it and sometimes you just have to let it go and let things move forward the way they’re supposed to.”

“Says the woman who moved heaven and earth to save my ass.”

Chronos grinned.  “I did say sometimes.”

Clint rolled his eyes at her.  “What about you though?” he asked.  “How are you holding up?”

Chronos shrugged.  “I remember both time lines,” she admitted.  “The nightmares will stop eventually.”

“Aww, kid,” Clint sighed.

“Birdman, it’s okay,” Chronos said.  “Nightmares are nothing new to me.  Besides, I’m not having a melt down, we stopped Hydra, we saved the world, and you’re alive.  That’s a win in my book.”

“I’ll give you that,” Clint laughed.  “I’m proud of you, Timex.  I know all of this hasn’t been easy on you - leaving the X-Men, moving back to New York, even joining SHIELD and the Avengers.  But you held it together.  You took command of the situation and even put me in my place.  Ya did good.”

Chronos ducked her head, embarrassed.  “We better get going,” she muttered.  “We’re gonna miss our flight.”

Clint threw himself down in a nearby chair.  “Nope, I cancelled it,” he said.  “Told Coulson we needed to stay in town a couple more days in case there were any more devices.”

“And he bought that?”

“Hook, line, and sinker,” Clint replied.  “Although he may have just been going along to keep us out of his hair for a while.  Either way, I figure you deserve a vacation and I deserve another shot at that redhead.  Just stay away from the darts this time, I don’t care if they were suction cup tipped.”

“Yeah, about that,” Chronos said.  “I actually was aiming for her.  Widow said she’d buy me that new hard drive I need if I’d save you from yourself.”

“What?!” Clint exclaimed.  “What did Tasha go and do that for?”

“Be thankful I took her offer,” Chronos countered.  “You don’t wanna know what Stark offered me a thousand dollars to do to you.”

Clint just leaned his head back and groaned.


End file.
